A New Beginning
by RueMarieOdair
Summary: Aphrodite and Darius go their separate ways from the Nerd Herd as Aphrodite calls their group of friends , to start their own life, their own future together. Soon they have second thoughts about making the choice to leave, when things very unexpected happen. Something Aphrodite thought she was ready for, but then she realizes she might need her friends to help her through it.
1. Chapter 1

A New Beginning

Aphrodite

Chapter 1

She turned her gaze from the passenger window of the white hummer, to Darius, and let her lips tilt up in a sweet smile. She was so proud of him. She never thought someone could love her as much as Darius did. When she decided to leave the House of Night, he was right behind her with her decision. He told her he would always be there for her, he promised. He was so brave, her warrior, her protector, her love.. _love? _she thought, as her smile quickly turned into a confused expression. _Yes. My love. _Her smile then reappeared, and got wider.

"What is it, my beauty?" Darius asked grabbing her hand, with a gorgeous smile on his face.

Aphrodite shot a wink at him and asked, "How am I so lucky?"

"Lucky? I think I'm the lucky one, my love." Darius replied.

"Are you kidding? I don't know what I would do without you. Honestly, Darius," she almost yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. She was frustrated. _How can he love me? I don't understand, _she thought. "I love you," she said in a whisper.

Darius smiled, and squeezed her hand, "I love you too, and always will."

Aphrodite crawled into the seat with Darius and cuddled up to him. He was warm and sweet. She felt safe with him. She slowly shut her eyes, but didn't get close to sleep before Darius spoke.

"We're almost home, my beauty." Darius said

"Our home..," she said in a whisper, thinking Darius wouldn't hear her.

"Yes, our home," he replied, as he kissed her on top of her head.

After a few more minutes of driving, Darius said, "We're home," as he carried Aphrodite out of the hummer, and gently let her stand up beside him. Aphrodite's mouth flew open in shock. It was beautiful. Normally she would have been pissed at the sight of a log cabin in the middle of the woods. She hated cabins, but not this one. This one felt like home to her. A home for her and Darius. She hadn't realized it, but she had walked halfway up the little gravel driveway, almost to the stairs leading to the front door. She turned back to Darius, ran toward him, and threw her arms around his neck. He began to laugh, and Aphrodite loved the way his laugh made her feel. Happy.

"It's absolutely perfect. I love it." She whispered in his ear.

"I was hoping you would." He said while slowly putting her down. "Come on. Let me show you our home." He said offering out his hand for her. She accepted and followed him into their new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you flowergirl, Kitty****LovesToPlay, and houseofnightfan for reviewing the first chapter. Hope you like chapter 2! Again, I don't own anything from the house of night.**

Chapter 2

Aphrodite

She woke up to the sound of Maleficent, her cat, meowing in her face. Aphrodite sighed and gently stroked Maleficent's head, and placed the cat on the ground as she climbed out of her bed.

_Where is Darius? _She thought. She looked over to his side of the bed. It looked untouched. She shrugged then slipped on one of Darius's t shirts and some pajama pants. "Let's go find him, pretty girl," she said as she picked up her cat.

Aphrodite turned the corner of the kitchen, and saw Darius through the window sitting on the porch. She quietly walked to the front door and looked through the window at her warrior. He looked sad, with his face in his hands. She could feel his sadness, his confusion, and he was frightened. _Frightened? _Aphrodite thought, "Why the hell would my warrior be frightened?" she said out loud. She put her hand over her mouth quickly once she realized she was yelling. Darius turned his head slowly toward Aphrodite.

"Good morning, my beauty. How did you sleep?" he said as he walked toward her.

'Good morning. I slept great, but you.. Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing his hand.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you, but it's nothing really. Don't let it worry you. It was only just a dream," he said, moving the hair in front of her face and placing in gently behind her ear. Even though he said it was nothing, she knew it was really bothering him.

"Tell me. What happened?" She said almost in a whisper.

"My sweet, it was just a dream. Let's just go inside, and-" Darius said quietly before Aphrodite cut him off.

"No. Just tell me, Darius," Aphrodite argued.

Darius let out a long deep sigh. "You were in my arms, crying, and yelling in pain," he paused and took a deep breath before finishing, "But I couldn't do anything. I couldn't protect you. I felt helpless. Something was hurting you, but you.. Well neither of us wanted to hurt it."

"It? What do you me-.." Aphrodite yelled, but stopped before she could finish. She looked into Darius's eyes and realized he was really scared. _That dream really freaked him out, _she thought.

She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's okay. Like you said, it was just a dream," she whispered to her warrior, but she was thinking the complete opposite. _What if it wasn't a dream, but a vision?_ She shivered at the thought.

"Are you alright, my love?" Darius asked her.

She looked up at him, "Yeah, of course. Just.. Cold."

She wasn't going to let him know that his dream really worried her. No. The last thing she wanted was for her warrior to be freaked out by a silly dream. "Let's just go inside and fix something to eat," she said as Darius followed her into the house.

"Whatever you say, my lady" Darius said and winked at her. Aphrodite giggled and gently kissed him on the cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you again KittyLovesToPlay, houseofnightfan, and flowergirl for reviewing the FIRST chapter! Please review chapter 2 and 3 :)**

**Tell me what you think of my story so far. :)**

**And again.. I don't own anything from the House of Night. wish I did /3**

Chapter 3

Darius

Darius watched her as he cooked their breakfast. He could tell when she was worried about something. _I shouldn't have told her about my dream. I should have just let it go. It was just a dream anyways. _Darius thought, and let out a frustrated sigh._ What am I saying? I should never ignore a dream. It might mean something.. I hope this one doesn't me.._

He stopped as Aphrodite wrapped her arms around his arm, and rested her head on his shoulder. _"_It's okay. Whether your dream was just a silly dream or a," she hesitated at the word, "vision. We'll get through it. Together. I mean it's not like we haven't gone through some serious shit before! Everything will be okay."

Darius's lips slowly tilted up in a sweet smile. She was so brave. "I know," he whispered the first two words and said, "I guess my dream just really frightened me, that's all. Just the thought that I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save you, that's what scares me the most - Losing you."

Aphrodite shook her head, and said, "I'm not going anywhere. You won't lose me, my brave warrior." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I couldn't live without you," Darius whispered.

Aphrodite's smile got wider, and then complained, "I still need my breakfast though, so get to work! Then you can take a break," She giggled as she gently kissed Darius on his soft lips.

"I'll be sure to hurry then," Darius added and winked at Aphrodite while she stepped into their bedroom.

Aphrodite

She closed their bedroom door, slipped on a black tank top and dark jeans, and looked in the mirror. She looked different. _Maybe it's because I haven't fixed my hair yet? _she thought, but that wasn't it. She looked older. She looked more mature. She reminded herself of the way her mother looked when she was her age. _Ha, me? A mother? _she thought. She liked the sound of it. She began to smile.

"What am I thinking?" she said out loud to herself, "I'm so not ready for that." She looked at herself in the mirror one more time and thought, _Well I don't think I am._

She shook her head and hurried out of the bedroom.

Darius had her breakfast on the small coffee table in the living room. He was waiting for her. She sat down across from him on the soft couch, and began to eat her breakfast.

Aphrodite glanced up from her plate of eggs, and saw Darius staring at her with a huge sweet smile on his face.

"What is it?" she mumbled with a mouthful of eggs.

Darius laughed and his smile got bigger, "Oh nothing. You're just so beautiful."

She shook her head, and went back to eating her eggs.

She loved how she could just be in a t shirt with no make up, and Darius thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She had never known love like that until now, and she was so thankful that she had it.

Aphrodite leaned back and placed the fork in her finished plate.

"Do I get my break now?" Darius flirted.

"You mean _our _break?" Aphrodite asked.

"Of course," Darius said as he pick Aphrodite up in his arms.

Aphrodite began to giggle as Darius ran into their bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, and began to kiss her soft lips. She kissed him back hard and ran her fingers through his hair, as he slipped off his shirt…

**And you know what happens next..**

**Please review my story! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I haven't updated my story in a while. I've been a little busy, but I hope you like Chapter 4 :)**

**Review this chapter and tell me what you think! :)**

**Oh and Thank you so much Sinder3llarox! And don't worry of course the Nerd Herd will be coming into the story. I would never forget them! Keep reviewing my chapters :)**

Chapter 4

Aphrodite

Aphrodite woke up naked under the soft covers of her bed. She did it. Her and Darius _did_ it. She studied herself in the mirror across the room, and shook her head. She didn't look different. She didn't feel different. A little sore maybe, but that's all. The soreness didn't bother her, all that was on her mind was how amazing Darius had made love to her. He really loved her, truly loved her.

She cuddled up to the bed sheet, smiled like a little kid, and thought, _I'm so lucky to have Darius. I would be lost without him. I would be lost without love. His love._ She hopped up out of the bed, and slipped on a white v neck t shirt and panties.

_Speaking of him,_ she thought. "Where is he?" she finished out loud. She slightly cracked their bedroom door and peeked out. She could hear him talking in his strong protective voice. Who the hell was he talking to?

"No honestly we're… she's okay.. I don't know what you're t.." all she heard was pieces of what Darius said. She started to walk over there, but she realized she only had on a t shirt. She quickly pulled on some jeans, and slowly walked to the door.

"She is alright. Trust me. I would not let any harm come to her," Darius said.

"I know that Darius. I just want to see her. Can I see her, please?" the familiar voice said.

Aphrodite knew that voice. It was Zoey. Why would she be here? Why does she need to see me so bad?

_I'm kind of glad she's here. I've missed her. I've missed everyone from the nerd herd._ She smiled at the thought, surprised she had said that, but it was true._ I miss all my friends. _

Before she knew it, she had already walked to the front door where Darius and Zoey stood. Zoey looked different. Maybe it was because Aphrodite hadn't seen her in so long, but that wasn't it. She looked scared, but as soon as she saw Aphrodite sudden releif washed over her tattooed face. Zoey nudged Darius aside and wrapped her arms around Aphrodite. Aphrodite then realized how much she had missed Zoey. Probably more than the others. She trusted Zoey, and Zoey trusted her when nobody else did. I guess you could say Zoey was her first true friend: her bestfriend.

Aphrodite stepped out of the hug, as one single tear slid down her smooth cheek. She quickly wiped it away, hoping nobody saw it. She didn't want Zoey to worry about her. She and Darius were safe and happy. But why did Zoey come?

"Why are you here?" Aphrodite said, not trying to be mean. She was just curious.

"It's nice to see you to, Aphrodite," Zoey smiled.

"Come in, Zoey. I will fix us all something to drink," Darius said with his back toward them, walking to the kitchen. "Then Zoey can explain," he said turning his worry filled eyes to Aprhodite.

Then she knew. Zoey showing up wasn't the 'I've just come to visit my friends' kind of thing. Something happened, or was _going_ to happen..

Aphrodite and Zoey settled on the couch while Darius fixed them all some drinks. Aphrodite was so glad Zoey was there, because she had missed seeing her friends. Hell, she even missed pain-in-the ass Erik, which is really saying something. Sometimes she gets lonely in their huge cabin in the middle of the woods. But, she loves Darius. She would rather be with him than anywhere in the world. But every once in a while she would like some time to have a conversation with just a friend.

"So.. How are you?" Zoey asked trying to get rid of the awkward silence.

"Good. I've missed everyone, but I'm good," Aphrodite answered.

Zoey's smiled as Aphrodite said she'd missed everyone. It's very rarely that Aphrodite says something like that, but she already knew she missed them. Believe it or not, they missed her too.

Darius placed three glasses of water on the coffee table and took a seat next to Aphrodite. "I think you should tell Aphrodite now, Zoey."

Zoey nods as Darius and Aphrodite turn their eyes on her. Aphrodite sighs, ready for whatever Zoey has to tell her.

"Well.. I had a dream about you, Aphrodite. Not a very good one. I got down here as fast as I could. I was worried.. I wouldn't get here fast enough," Zoey said, with the last few words in a whisper. Zoey sighed. Aphrodite could tell she was trying to think of what to say.

"But you're okay.. everyone just needs to keep an eye on you. Then you'll be safe. Then everything will be alright," Zoey tried to smile, hoping Aphrodite wouldn't ask about the dream, but Zoey knew she would.

"The dream Zoey. Tell me about your dream," Aphrodite said, "Tell me what happened to me."

Zoey let out a long deep sigh before she began to speak, "In my dream, you were in this big open field. At first I thought you and me were alone, but then I realized I wasn't in your dream. Well I wasn't me. If that makes sense?"

"Just keep going!" Aphrodite yelled.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Like I said, I wasn't myself in my dream. I was this little boy. He was maybe 2? 3? Around that age. Anyways, he was slowly walking toward you, and as he got closer to you it was like he was getting older. Every step he took he would grow. You reached out to him, and he took your hand. Right when he took your hand he changed. He kinda looked like Darius.. but younger. Then he said something about people keeping him from you, and that he had fought so hard to see you. That was when it got freaky. You grabbed his hand and told him how proud of him you were.."

"That's the freaky part? What the fuck Zoey?" Aphrodite snapped.

"I'm not done!" Zoey yelled. Aphrodite slid closer to Darius, feeling his warm. Knowing he would always protect her, and he'll be by her side, always. She felt safe in Darius's arms, ready to face whatever Zoey had to say.

"Again like I said before, you were telling him you were proud and stuff. Then all of a sudden his eyes turned red, and he said 'Then you know why I have to do this' and he slowly pulled out a huge knife.." Zoey hesitated, "and killed you."

Darius squeezed Aphrodite's hand. She could barely hear him speak. She couldn't understand what he had said. She was frozen. She couldn't move. She was too shocked at Zoey's dream."Ah, shit," was all Aphrodite could say as one single tear fell down her face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Goodness! It feels like I haven't updated in forever. I'm sorry :)**

**And thank you Sinder3llarox! I'm glad you're enjoying my story. You're like my biggest fan! Keep reviewing my chapters :)**

**I've been trying to think of a name for the little mystery boy, in Aphrodite's dreams. I have a few options, but if you have any suggestions let me know. I'll then pick my favorites, then I will let you guys vote on your favorite. I thought it would be cool to get your opinion. If I actually do have enough followers to vote... Anyways, hope you like chapter five. :)**

Chapter 5

She was running. Something was chasing her, but what? She looked over her shoulder to get a glimpse of whatever was chasing her. What she saw was a small boy. He was just a toddler. He had dark hair and his facial features looked similar to Darius's, except for his eyes. His eyes were hers. It was like she was looking straight into her own eyes. She stopped running, and slowly walked toward him. He reached one of his tiny hands out to her, and she accepted it. His hand was so tiny it was almost lost in her hand.

"Don't leave me. Stay here with me. Promise you will stay," the little boy said. He then let go of her hand and placed it on her cheek. She didn't know what to say, so all she did was nod. The little boy wrinkled his forehead and shook his head.

"You lie, mommy!" the boy shouted, and then began to fade away. She dove for him, but went right through the air. Nothing was there. He was gone.

"No!" She shouted, and realized she was in her bedroom. "It was just a dream," she said to herself, but she wasn't too convincing. It felt real, but it couldn't be. The boy had called her mommy, and she was definitely _not _a mom. She looked at herself in the mirror across the room, and slowly placed her hand on her stomach. No. She couldn't be. She wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready for a family. She wasn't ready to take care of someone like that. She never really wanted kids. Well that was before she met Darius. _But do I want them now?_ she thought. She shook her head, as Darius came rushing into their bedroom.

"Aphrodite! Are you alright? What happened?" Darius hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

_Should I tell him? No. It would really freak him out after what Zoey told us. But I can't deal with this on my own.. so I have to tell him. _She thought. "I'm alright now, Darius. It was just a dream. A really bad dream," she said. Darius looked at her face, his expression filled with worry. She knew she had to tell him. He wouldn't let her keep it from him. She's not very good at keeping secrets from him, anyways.

"What happened? Tell me," Darius said. "Tell me everything."

So she told him. She told him everything. She went into detail about the boy. Especially about how he looked exactly like Darius, how he had her eyes, and how he called her mommy. She told him that she didn't know if she was ready for this.

"I think... I think my son is trying to talk.. No, no. He's trying to see me in my dreams. If that makes sense.." Aphrodite began before she told Zoey about hher dream. Zoey stared at her with her mouth wide open in shock as Aphrodite explained every detail of her dream. She was sitting across from Aphrodite in the living room of the cabin. She had been staying with them for a few days now. Aphrodite insisted she'd stay for a little while, but Zoey was going to go back to the depot today, until now.

"Wait.. did you say _son?_ You have a son?" Zoey said, very shocked.

"Well I don't know! According to my dream I do!" Aphrodite shouted at Zoey.

"Gah, don't yell! I'm just trying to figure this out," Zoey said. "Me too," Aphrodite replied.

She needed Darius there, so she could bury her head in his chest, and forget all of this just for a moment. She wanted to just lay in his arms for a while and take a break from real life. But she made him go get them all something to eat, because she didn't want him to be here while her and Zoey tried to figure everything out. He was quite shocked anyway. He didn't say much when Aphrodite told him, so he was probably glad he had some time to let everything sink it. Darius was more freaked out than Aphrodite.

"Do you know if you really are.. _pregnant_?" Zoey asked almost in a whisper. All Aprodite could do was shake her head in response.

"Well I think you should find out! This dream is starting to freak us all out.. and I can't forget my vision. You need to find out, Aphrodite," Zoey said.

"Okay, I'll find out if I really am.." she couldn't say the word so she just continued, "Then me, you, and Darius are going back to the depot. I hate to say it, but I think I need the nerd herd to help me with this one... I need my friends."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello people! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. You won't get another chapter in a while though. I'm not going to be able to update for 2 weeks, I know.. that's a long time, but I will be at the beach, and I can't take my computer /3 But right when I get back, I will post like two chapters just because I'll be gone sooo long :)**

**Now, on the subject of the little mystery boy, here are some suggestions for his name: Jace, Bennett, Eli, Greysen, Zander, and Fynn.  
Please review and vote on your favorite name, or you can send me a private message. If you have any other suggestions for his name, please let me know. Please, please, please vote! :)  
**

**Anyways, I own nothing of the House Of Night. Wish I did, but I don't.. enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! :)**

Chapter 6

Aphrodite

_Breath. Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath, _I think to myself. "You're such a coward, Aphrodite. Just look at it!" I say to myself, as I grip the pregnancy test in my hand. I began to think, to think of what would happen if it was positive, if it was negative. I went through the possibilities in my head. Positive; I would have a baby. I would have a wonderful family with the man I love. Great news. I could.. Possibly die. Not good. Negative; No baby. I couldn't think of anything good that came out of this test being negative. _But do I really want to die? Do I really want a baby? _I smiled at the thought of having a baby. Then I pictured my loving family with Darius. Our kids would be strong and beautiful, just like their parents. Then I asked myself again, but outloud, "Do I really want a baby?" I sighed. "Of course I do," I said to myself. I tilted the pregnancy test toward me, but with one hand still rested on it, so I couldn't see the results. "I'm not a coward," I said to myself as I pulled my hand off of the test. My hand came directly over my mouth in surprise.

I ran down the stairs. I had to find somebody. I had to tell somebody. "Darius," I heard myself say. Darius. Will he be happy? Will he be scared? Does he even want a baby? I shook my head. I have to stop getting distracted. Of course Darius will want a baby, too. Just like me. He would be a great fatther.

"Darius!" I yell, as I drop down on the couch. I'm exhausted. I didn't get any sleep last night. I was too busy thinking about.. the baby. I was too busy thinking about what would happen to _me, _if I had this baby. Could Darius take care of her-_him,_ I mean. Could Darius take care of our little boy without me? Well he would always have the nerd herd. I ignore my thoughts, as my strong warrior comes running to my side.

"Aphrodite! Are you alright? What happened? Are you hur-" Darius said before I break in.

"No! I'm fine. I'm great, actually. I have news.. good news, I guess," I said to him, as I grab his hand. I saw Darius' eyes lighten up when he heard me say good news, but will he still have the same expression when I actually tell him the news? I sigh. Darius tightens his grip on my hand.

"What is it, my beauty?" Darius says.

I let out a deep breath, and answer him very quietly, "Darius.. I'm pregnant."

I look up at his face, trying to figure out his expression. He looks for scared than frightened. _Frightened? Why would he be frightened?_ Then I realize why. He's not scared of having a baby, I'm sure he would be soo excited right now, if it weren't for my dream and Zoey's vision. That's why he's scared. He's scared for me.

I cuddle up to him with my face buried in his chest. He wraps his protective, strong arms around me. "We'll figure this out, Darius, like we always do. We'll get throught this. I promise," I said against his chest. I was surprised he heard me, but I knew he did when he tightened his arms around me.

We were silent for a while. Neither of us said a word. We were just frozen in the moment. Neither of us knew what to say. I couldn't find the words. I wanted to tell him everything would be okay, but the words just wouldn't come out. I didn't want to lie to him, anyway, because I wasn't even sure if everything would be alright.

I closed my eyes, and prayed silently to Nyx. "Nyx, please keep us safe. Keep Darius safe, and our little boy. Watch over us all, and help us make the right decisions. We need you." After my prayer, I slowly fell asleep, in my warrior's arms.

I woke up in the white hummer. The road was very bumpy, so it must have woken me up. Darius and Zoey were in the front seats, Darius in the drivers seat. Bags were piled high all the way to the ceiling of the hummer. I guess Zoey had packed all my stuff. I hope she packed everything, and folded everything right so nothing would be wrinkled. I smiled. I sounded like my old self, before all of these dreams, visions, and other shit. And the baby. The baby! I wonder what Darius thought about the whole baby situation. I hope he was as excited as I was, even though I might possibly get killed by my own son. I shivered at the thought.

We must be going back to the depot. _Finally, _I thought,_ we're going back home. _

Zoey must have heard me wake up, because she turned around and smiled. "Goodmorning, Aphrodite. Glad you finally decided to wake up. We're almost home." _Home. _I smiled at Zoey and turned to look out the window.

Then, I swear, in the beautiful sunset I saw Nyx smiling at me in the delicate clouds. She had answered my prayer.

**Sorry guys, I know this is a really short chapter.. but I hope you like it. Don't forget to review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everybody, I'm finally back from the beach! So far, only one person has voted on the Mystery Boy's name. So Greyson is in the lead... with 1 vote. Yay. Please review and vote! Please! And again, I do not own anything from the House of Night Series. Wish I did, but I don't. Enjoy chapter 7!**

Chapter 7

Darius

"Home" I hear Aphrodite say to herself in the backseat, as the depot comes into view from the hummer windows. _Yes, home _I think, _Where my love will be safe. _

Ever since I've had that dream I have been so scared of Aphrodite's safety. I couldn't save her in my dream. I was powerless. The thought of anything happening to my Aphrodite, kills me. I wouldn't be able to live without her. I couldn't do it. I know she wants to keep our little boy. I mean, I would love to keep him. I've always wanted to start a family with Aphrodite, but not like this. Not when her life is in danger. And I'm afraid if he _does_ try to kill her, will Ibe able to hurt my _son_? Will I be able to protect her?

"Darius, stop," Zoey snaps me back to reality as she grabs my arm. I almost ran straight into the depot.

"Oh, sorry," I reply.

Zoey and Aphrodite quickly get out of the car to greet everyone, which means I have to get our bags, but I don't mind.

I go right to the back of the hummer and start getting all of our luggage. It isn't to much, just three bags of Aphrodite's things and two of my bags. Zoey had been wearing some of Aphrodite's clothes for the short time she had stayed with us. Of course Aphrodite hated that. Zoey told us she came straight to us. She didn't have time to pack anything, which I understood. My mind wouldn't be on what clothes I would bring, but to make sure my friends were okay.

I enter the depot, carrying all our luggage, when I hear a very familiar voice.

"Let me help you there, Darius," Stark says to me. It's nice see him. I guess you could call him my best friend. I've certainly taught him everything about being a warrior, and I have to say, he's a very good one for Zoey. I've always liked Stark too. In many ways, we are very similar. We'll both do _anything_ to protect our ladies.

"Thanks, Stark. It's nice to see you," I say to him. Of course it's nice to see him, but I hate the reason why we came back here. The reason being, my _son _might try to kill Aphrodite. It's just wrong. It's sick. I blink away the thought and turn my head back to Stark.

He nods in response, with a big smile. "Now come on. We can just take your stuff to your old room here." I smile and follow him, very glad I'm home.

Aphrodite

"I really missed you, Aphrodite," Stevie Rae says to me as she wraps her arms around me. She's still wearing her roper jeans and cowboy boots. When will this girl ever learn?

I return her hug, and say, "Honestly, I've missed you to. Even if you still wear those god awful roper jeans." She laughs. Seriously, I didn't lie. I really have missed her.

She squeezes me, and lets go of me. Then I see Damien in the corner of the room smiling. Crying? Yep. Gay Boy is crying. I didn't really expect that. But Damien is very emotional. Very, _very_, emotional. I haven't seen him in so long though.

Then I do something I never thought I would ever do. I run, no sprint, to Damien and hug him. Yes, HUG HIM. He is obviously surprised, because he hesitates to return my embrace.

I quickly loosen the hug and step back. I shake my head, and look at the floor. I'm quite embarrassed, actually. I'm sure everybody is staring at me.

"I'm sorry. I'm just happy to see you," I say, looking down at my feet.

What am I doing? I'm sooo not acting myself. What's wrong with me? Am I sick? Then I remember. I gently place one of my hands over my abdomen. My belly has gotten just a little bigger, but only just a little. Hopefully not too noticeable. The baby is making me feel weird. I just don't feel myself. Maybe because I never thought I would be in this position. A mother. I'd never in a million years thought I would be a mother, and now I am.

I look up to see Damien's face. He's shocked. Did Zoey not tell them? Oh great, she didn't tell them! That was one thing I did not want to do. I didn't want to tell my friends the news. It just seems very awkward to me. It was hard for me to accept it myself. How would they respond to the news? But Damien saved me from that awkward conversation, because he's already figured it out. He knows that I have a baby inside me.

"You're…" Damien starts, but I finish it for him.

"Pregnant? Yeah," I yell. I stomp off to mine and Darius' old room, hoping nobody follows me. I sure don't feel like talking about this right now.

**Hoped you liked it.  
REVIEW! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! So Greysen is still in the lead now with 2 votes :) But keep voting please!  
Hope you like this chapter, please REVIEW! :)**

Chapter 8

Darius

"Aphrodite!" I scream when I hear her yell. I run straight into her direction, hoping she is alright.

I almost run into Damien I'm running so fast. I look for Aphrodite, but she's not there. Where is she? I see Stevie Rae is on the other side of the room with a weird look on her face. It's almost like she's seen a ghost or something. Then I look up at Damien and see that the expression on his face is pure shock. I ask him what happened, but he just shrugs. He is too shocked to answer me. But why? Aphrodite must have told him. I thought Zoey would have told everybody already, though.

I see Aphrodite on our old bed, cuddled into a ball with a small blanket over her still body. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she has only stopped crying recently. She looks over at me with sad eyes. Seeing her like this, makes me want to just pick her up and run away. If only it were that simple. If only we could just run away from this whole situation. I really wish we could. Then we could be happy, just together. Forever.

"No, Darius! I'm fucking pissed, and frustrated… and confused. I don't know what to do. I'm not ready for this. I don't know how to take care of a child, Darius. I can't do this. I just can't!" Aphrodite screams in frustration. I wrap my arms around her, trying to comfort her. She buries her face in my chest and I can feel her tears through my shirt. It kills me when she cries, but Aphrodite crying is very rare. She almost never cries, unless it's something really big, like this.

"It's okay, Aphrodite. Everything will be okay, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you," my last sentence I said almost in a whisper. Thinking about my dream when I couldn't save her, makes my arms tighten around her, protectively. _I will do anything and everything to protect her. Everything I can.. Even if it means killing my own child. _I hate the thought, but it's true.

Aphrodite shakes her head, her face still buried in my chest.

"No, Darius. I'm not worried about myself," she then tilts her head up to look into my eyes, "I'm worried about our baby."

_Our baby. _I repeat it in my head many times. I can see why she's so upset. I mean, we had always wanted a family, but not right now. We're not ready. I don't know how to take care of a child either, but it can't be that hard? Right? Oh, but this child would be more complicated, of course. This child would try and kill _my _Aphrodite.. If we kept it.

"What do you wan t to do with..?" I start, but instead of finishing, I just gently place my hand over Aphrodite's stomach, where our baby is.

"I.. I want to keep him," she says quietly.

Of course. Of course I expected her to want to keep him, didn't I? We never really talked about having a family, but it was going to happen eventually, right? I've always wanted a family. But keeping this baby would be dangerous. I just can't stand the fact that her life would be in danger if we did keep…our baby. I don't know what to do though. I don't think I could kill my baby? No. I could never do that. It's just so confusing. It's not fair. But I can't tell her that. I can't tell her I don't want to keep our baby. It would crush her. So I simply say, "Okay."

As soon as I say okay, she quickly falls asleep in my arms.

Aphrodite

I open my eyes and see I'm in mine and Darius' bed at the depot. I must have dozed off after I talked to Darius about our baby. I told him I wanted to keep him, and I am. Nobody can change my mind. I have already made my decision, and I know the consequences. I'm not really scared for my safety, which is so unlike me. I just want my baby to be safe and healthy. But I don't understand how a child could kill his mother. I already love my little boy. I can't wait to see what he looks like, what his personality will be like, and to watch him grow up. If I will actually get to see him grow up..

I mentally shake the thoughts from my head. I'm too exhausted to think about that anymore. Then as my stomach growls, I realize I'm starving. I haven't eaten in a while. I guess I just haven't thought about food when I'm stuck in this bad situation. Other things have been on my mind. But my sleep quickly beats my hunger as I pass out on my bed, once again.

_**One week later **_

Aphrodite

I look at my stomach. It seems like it's getting larger and larger everyday, but maybe I'm just crazy. That's one of the things I hate about this whole pregnant thing. I hate looking like a fat lady. Bleh. The other thing I absolutely hate would probably be the morning sickness. It's awful. Thank goodness Darius is here to help me through it. He's the one who holds me when my emotions go crazy and I break down in tears or I have one of my moods when all I want to do is scream. I hate to say it, but it happens a lot. I can't help it, everyone's been pissing me off lately. Especially Zoey. She keeps warning me about my safety, what could happen to me if I kept the baby, blah, blah, blah. I can handle myself though. I'm keeping my baby, no matter what anybody says!

"Aphrodite, looks like your baby is growing really, really fast.." Zoey says to me with worrying eyes.

I roll my eyes at her. It's nice that she cares, I guess, but I can really take care of myself. "Zoey, he's fine. I guess he's just going to be a big boy," I smile at her, kind of a sarcastic smile. She deserves it though.

"Alright. I'll go get you some water," she says before hurrying on to the kitchen. She probably just wants to get away from me, the hormonal pregnant bitch.

"Actually Aphrodite, Zoey is right. I don't think you're suppose to be this big at this point in your pregnancy.." Darius says, grasping my hand, "Maybe we should go see someone?"

I look into his eyes. Wow. He's serious. He really is worried about this. I have to say I have noticed I'm getting bigger and bigger very quickly, but I just thought it was nothing. But maybe it is serious. Darius seems to be convinced that something is wrong, and I don't feel like arguing with him, so I don't.

"Alright. If you think I need to go see a doctor, I will. But you're coming with me, and just you! Just me and you. Nobody else!" I say to him, a little too loud.

He smiles at me. Oh, how I love my warriors smile. The sight of his smile makes me burst into tears, for some reason. Maybe it's these pregnancy hormones. He just wraps his arms around me, and I accept his embrace. I've kind of been ignoring his affection for a while, but I don't now. I need him. I need him now more than ever.

"I love you," He whispers into my eye.

"I love you too," I say with a smile. And for a moment it's like we are back in our little old cabin, before all of this shit happened, and it was just us. Together tangled up in each other's warmth.

**Hoped you liked this chapter! Don't forget to REVIEW! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everybody! You can now vote multiple times for Aphrodite's little boy's name! So, thanks to Smiley, Greysen has another vote! So Greysen is in the lead with 3 votes, and Zander has 1 :)  
Hope you like Chapter 9. And again, don't forget to review. Reviews make me update more :)  
I don't own The House of Night, wish I did though :(**

Chapter 9

Aphrodite

_One week later_

Well, today is the day. I agreed with Darius that I would go to the doctor. After Darius makes me eat breakfast, I just haven't had much of an appetite this week, we climb into the hummer. He told me he just wants to make sure the baby is alright, just a check up, he said, but I know he is seriously worried about me and the baby. I still think it's nothing. I mean, yes, my baby is growing quite fast, but maybe he is just going to be a big baby. My stomach has grown bigger even after one week, probably more than it should. But of course Darius is more worried than I am, so I didn't argue when he suggested the doctors visit.

Finally, we're at the stupid hospital. I hate the way hospitals smell. It makes me sick. Hospitals make me feel very uncomfortable and they are just fucking scary, so I stay glued to Darius the whole time. I get lost in thought, but sudden snap back into reality when I hear someone saying my name.

"LaFont. Aphrodite LaFont," the nurse with the clipboard says. I glance over at Darius as he takes my hand. The nurse leads us to our room. Then she says something before exiting the room, but I didn't pay attention. And then we wait for what seems like a very long time.

I look over to Darius. Surprisingly he looks very happy. He has this huge smile on his face.

"Why are you so happy?" I ask.

He shakes his head, the smile still on his face. "I've always dreamed of this moment." My eyebrows fly up in confusion. What? What the hell does he mean?

He laughs at my silly expression. "Not this doctor's appointment. I mean, having a family. I've always wanted a big family, a really big family. I've always wanted tons of kids for some reason, but I slowly gave up on that dream when I thought I never find the perfect girl. I have to say, I might have found her," he says to me. _Ha, seems like he's forgetting a small detail of this big family thing; our son is going to kill me. But whatever, I would try and ignore it if I was him too._

"You _might_ have found her?" I ask him, very sarcastically.

A small laugh escapes him. "I mean, I _have_ found her."

"That's better," I say.

Then his small smile quickly turns into a frown. Looks like he's not ignoring it after all.

"But I don't want a big family if we have to deal with consequences as big as this. I don't know if keeping the baby is a good idea, Aphrodite," he says quietly.

_Okay, that pissed me off. Of course keeping the baby is a good idea! I'm keeping him no matter what. Nobody can stop me. And didn't he just say he wanted a big family? Gah. He's so fucking confusing! _"What? Darius I'm keeping the baby. Nobody can change my mind. Not even you! But didn't you just say you wanted a big family? Whatever happened to that? Huh? I'm sorry Darius, but I'm having this bay no matter what the consequences are!" I cross my arms and sit back in the chair. I let out a very frustrating sigh.

"But Aphrodite, I do. I really do want to have a big family, just not like this! You know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. And I really couldn't live with or take care of something that killed you! Honestly, I would never be able to love it."

My mouth flies open in shock. _How can he say that? This is our baby. Our responsibility. He can't just leave me in this situation. I need him! He just can't be serious! _

My thoughts are interrupted when the doctor walks in. He obviously heard mine and Darius' fight. I can tell by the awkward expression on his face. He quickly looks down at his clipboard to hide his face, which kind of makes it more awkward. Oh well.

"Hello , I'm ." he glances at me then nods in Darius' direction. "You look swell, Miss.," he glances down at his clipboard again. "Looks like you're just here for an ultrasound?" he asks me. I nod. "Shall we get you ready for your ultrasound?" He asks me with a smile.

Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy people make me mad. Not the people that are actually happy, but the people that fake the happiness, like doctors, waiters, and flight attendants. I don't know why, but for some reason they totally annoy me.

I smile sarcastically in response. "Of course. Let's get this over with."

"Well, looks like you're very far along in your pregnancy." He says looking down at my abdomen.

What? I'm not very far along at all. I just found out I was pregnant like 2 months ago, right?

"Actually, I'm no-" I start, but Darius quickly interrupts me.

"Yes, she's very far along, actually. When do you think the baby will be due?" Darius asks .

"Well, since she's so far along. I would say your baby boy will be due in about 2 more months," responds.

_What did he say? 2 more months? That couldn't be right. I'm not that far along in my pregnancy! This isn't right. He's wrong._

"Thank you, . Could you give me and Aphrodite a moment, please?" Darius asks.

"Of course," says before stepping out of the room.

I look at Darius with shock, looking for an explanation.

"Looks like our baby's growing faster than we thought," is all he says.

"No. This can't be right Darius. The doctor's wrong. My belly isn't even that big!" I say glancing down at my belly. _Scratch that. My stomach is huge. I guess I haven't been paying attention, or something? I look very pregnant. I look like I'm almost ready to pop, not quite, but almost. _

I'm so surprised. I don't know what to say. Actually I can't say anything, my voice won't let me. I try to squeeze out some words.

"2 months?" is all that comes out.

Darius just nods in response.

_Well, looks like it's now official. I will die in 2 months. Ah, hell._

**Tell me what you think! REVIEW! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heyyy, everybody! Don't have much to say except for don't forget to vote for the names!  
I don't own anything from The House of Night.  
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Pretty please review! :)**

**Oh and by the way, thank you Smiley and Sinder for being my biggest fans! :)**

Chapter 10

Darius

"2 months? That's it? That's how much time we have left to figure this out?!" Zoey asks, in the depot's kitchen. We had just gotten back from the hospital. Aphrodite pretty much passed out in the hummer, so I had to carry her in. I don't mind, but she's actually heavy with a baby in her belly. A baby that is growing bigger every second it seems like.

It's just me and Zoey. Everyone else is asleep, well except for Stark and Stevie Rae, of course, but I don't know where they are. Zoey is obviously freaking out.

"Darius?! Are you listening to me? We _have _to figure this out, and _soon!_" Zoey snaps at me.

"I'm sorry, Zoey. I'm just trying to think of what we should do, that's all," I say.

"Okay, okay. But 2 months? Why is it growing so fast?!" she asks me.

"I don't know. I'm a vampire and Aphrodite is a prophetess. This isn't a normal baby, Zoey! I don't even know if this has ever happened before. Everything is a surprise to me too," I say to her.

Zoey finally calms down a little. She knows we have to be strong for Aphrodite. Even though Zoey and I are freaking out more than Aphrodite. Aphrodite is very happy, and doesn't seem worried about the fact that she could die. I'm happy also, but honestly, I would be happier if this baby was gone. I do want a baby, but not like this.

"Darius, she can't have it," Zoey whispers, I barely hear her.

She understands. Finally, someone who agrees with me.

"I know, Zoey, but she's said that she's keeping him. She's already made up her mind. I tried to tell her, but she says even I can't change her decision," I say.

"But she can't! It will kill her!" Zoey yells. I've noticed that she has been calling mine and Aphrodite's baby "it", which is strange. She's the only one that does that.

"We can't let that happen, Zoey. We won't. We'll figure this out," I say, "I'm going to check up on her. See how she's doing." Zoey just nods in response.

I walk into our room, and see Aphrodite sound asleep. She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping. Looking at her like this breaks my heart. I try to blink away the tears as they form. I have to be strong for her. I have to be strong. But when I cuddle in our bed close to Aphrodite, I give up. I can no longer hold it in, so I let the tears slide down my face freely.

"I have to be strong for her," I whisper to myself before I drift off to sleep.

Aphrodite

I lay in my bed looking at the ceiling. Finally some time alone. This is like the first time in months where I have actually had alone time. It's all because everyone thinks I'm sound asleep. They're all dumb asses. They actually think I have gotten sleep? Uh, _hell_ no, not with this baby in my belly. I get no sleep at all. I'm always getting up to pee or puke. Yeah, it's gross, but true.

_Ugh. Speaking of! _I think to myself as I rush to the bathroom. Morning sickness. I hate it.

I walk back to my bed when I hear someone outside the bedroom. I just don't feel like talking to Stevie Rae or Zoey right now. I can't stand them trying to tell me what to do and how I should raise my baby. It's my baby. I will raise him how I want. I never asked for their opinions. I just want to be alone, so I cuddle back into the bed, under the soft covers, hoping nobody will bother me.

But of course, someone comes in anyways. I glance over at the door, and I'm thankful it's just Darius. He's really the only one I can talk to about this, because he understands. We have been disagreeing on a few things about the baby, but I'm sure we'll come to an agreement on everything when the baby is here.

"How are you, my beauty?" he asks me as he sits on the edge of the bed. He gently brushes my hair out of my face.

"Ha, I've been better," I smile at him.

He smiles back. He has such a beautiful smile. He seems so happy, or maybe he's just a really, really good faker.

"We have something very, very important to discuss," I say to him.

"Oh, we do? And what would that be, my love?" he asks.

"Names," is all I say.

"Ahh," he takes his hand and gently rubs my belly. "Well do you have any ideas?"

I nod my head yes. Of course I have ideas. That's like all I ever think about now. That's pretty much what every woman thinks about, not only when she's pregnant, but her whole life. I remember when I was little I always said I was going to name my baby Star, and I was convinced that I was going to have a girl. I know Star is a weird name, but I had this obsession with stars when I was little. I don't mean I had a telescope and I loved to like read about the stars. No. I just loved to look at them. They were so beautiful. I seemed to do that a lot since my family was never there, I was pretty much ignored. So to me, the stars would always be there for me.

"Well? Let's hear your ideas," Darius says.

I smile. "Well I absolutely love the name Greysen. It's probably my favorite so far, but I have others that I like, like Zander, Jace, and Bennett."

He nods, and pulls me close. "I love it. Greysen. It sounds like a very strong name. I love them all."

I look up at him, "But I have others you might like?"

"Aphrodite, if you love it, I love it," He says and kisses my forehead.

"Oh really?" I ask, "What if I wanted to name our baby.. Star?" I smile at him. I just want to see what he would say.

"I would say it.. is a beautiful name. Very Strong.. Beautiful.. Unique."

I look up at his handsome face with an expression that says 'Are you sure?'.

He just laughs and says, "Okay, fine. It's awful. My son will not be named Star. Maybe just a middle name?"

I giggle. Wow, he actually thinks I'm serious. "I think that can work. Middle name is good," I laugh.

He pulls me into his arms, and we just lay there in silence. These are the moments I love. When we just lie together in silence. It's so peaceful, and it makes me feel safe.

"I love you," I barely hear him whisper to me.

"I love you too," I say kissing his cheek.

**REVIEW PLEASE.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Heyy, just to let you guys know, I changed my username to RueMarieOdair. You can still vote for the baby's name, and review please. Enjoy chapter 11 :)**

Chapter 11

Aphrodite

_One week later_

Stars. I'm staring up at the starry sky, lying in a field covered with wildflowers. It's a very peaceful place. Yes, the darkness is strangely peaceful. I've missed the stars. They make me feel safe. I feel as if I'm home. My thoughts of the baby, well my baby killing me, disappear from my mind. I take a deep breath and let the scent of the wildflowers travel through my nose. But something is wrong. It's not wildflowers I smell.

It's… Blood.

My hands go straight to my abdomen. My baby isn't there anymore. In his place is a deep gash across my stomach. Then the pain hits me. I've never felt pain like this before. I raise my hand from my belly, and it's covered in blood. _My_ blood. I feel myself begin to fade away at the sight of my own blood. No. I'm not weak. I try and fight against the blackness that's slowly taking me away. I have no idea what's going on, I can't just give up and fucking pass out, I think to myself. I drop my hands, out of my sight. I look at what surrounds me, trying to get the thought of my injury out of my mind.

A black figure stands across from me, a few yards from where I sit in a pool of my own blood. I don't know whether to run from it, or to ask for help. I try to stand, but collapse almost immediately.

"Help," I choke out.

It begins to walk toward me. I'm surprised he actually heard me. As he gets closer, I figure out who he is.

He's my son. He's quite beautiful I must say. He's like a younger Darius, with most of Darius' facial features, but with blonde hair. He also has Darius' body structure, very muscular, but he has my eyes. My sharp, strong eyes. He looks to be a teenager, maybe 13.

"Mom," he whimpers, and collapses to his knees by my side.

I try to speak, but nothing comes out.

"No," he begins, "This is all my fault. I never wanted this to happen. I tried. I really did. I tried to stop this. I love you, mom. You have to believe me. Nobody else will. Everyone is trying to hurt.. To kill me. You're the only one that can save me, mom. You have to believe me, mom!"

I can't stand him hurting like this. He doesn't think I believe him? Of course I believe him. He's my son. I must protect him.

I nod, "Of course I believe you. I'll keep you safe."

He smiles at me. He has a gorgeous smile, just like Darius'. God, he reminds me so much of Darius.

Suddenly, the pain hits me hard again. I feel the darkness growing stronger. Panic washes over my little boy's face, but he can't do anything. Darkness is all I can see. It has won. I can here my baby yelling for me, "Mom! Mom, don't leave me!" I try to yell back to him, "I'm not going anywhere! I won't leave you!" but nothing escapes my mouth. I close my eyes. I give up. I let darkness take me away.

My eyes fly open. I'm in my room. I'm at the depot. I look to my side, and Darius is there, sound asleep. He has no idea what has just happened. I decide not to wake him though. It can wait. I sit up, and notice my side of the bed is soaked with sweat.

My dream seemed so real though. I was convinced it was real. But what does it mean? What did the little boy tell me? I mean, _my_ little boy. "He never wanted to hurt me. He doesn't want to hurt me," I whisper to myself. But what does he mean? Why does he hurt me in the first place?

He said somebody was trying to hurt him, but I will not let that happen. I have to protect my little boy. I will protect him no matter what.

"Darius, wake up," I gently nudge at his side, trying to wake him up. I succeed.

"What is it, Aphrodite?" he asks, it seems like he's annoyed. He's still asleep, not literally. He barely opens his eyes. Then he snaps back to reality. He sits up and paces his hand on my swollen belly. He looks to my face, but doesn't say anything, his expression talks for him. "What's wrong?"

"I had a dream. He was in it. I don't know what to think. I'm scared, Darius," I manage to say.

He pulls me into his strong, muscular arms. "Tell me everything."

So I do. I tell him everything, down to every detail. I can feel him flinch when I tell him about the gash across my stomach. I'm sure my dream scares him too. I'm sure it will freak everybody out once I tell them. Well, _if_ I tell them.

Darius doesn't say anything when I'm done telling him everything. I'm glad he doesn't. He knows me so well. He knows I don't want to hear him say everything will be alright, because we both know it won't. I know he wants to comfort me, but just lying in his arms is comfort enough. He's all I'll ever need.

**Hmmm.. What do think Aphrodite's dream means? What do you think the little boy was talking about? Who was trying to kill him? Hm… so many questions. Review and tell me what you think :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hope you like this chapter. It's a little shorter than the last few, sorry. Don't forget to review! By the way, Thank you again to my three biggest fans, you know who you are! :)**

Chapter 12

Aphrodite

_One Week Later_

"Aphrodite! Look what I got you! I thought it was the cutest thing, I just had to get it for ya!" Stevie Rae yells, holding up a tiny blue onsesie. She's probably the most excited about me baby. She's always getting me everything I need. I'm glad she is, because I don't have time. And surprisingly, she doesn't annoy me. She also told me she loves that she finally has an excuse to look at baby clothes. But I don't complain. The clothes she buys for my little boy are actually cute. She might not have good taste in clothes for herself, but when it comes to babies, she's alright.

"It's adorable, Stevie Rae. Thank you," I grab the onesie from her and smile, "You actually have good taste when it comes to_ baby _clothes." I say it sarcastically, so I won't hurt her feelings, but she probably knows I'm not kidding.

She crosses her arms, but giggles, "You're welcome, Aphrodite."

"So, have you and Darius thought of a name for this little guy?" She takes her hand and places it over my swollen belly. Her face is full of pure happiness. I wonder if I look like that when I think of my precious baby inside me..

Stevie Rae and I are pretty much the only ones excited and happy about my baby. Darius is, well, he's happy, but not as happy as I am. He's just worried about me. But Zoey, she's upset about this whole thing, more than Darius is. She keeps telling me that I can't have my baby, that killing him would solve this problem, but that's not going to happen. I will_ not _kill my baby.

"Well, yes. We've thought of a few," I smile at her. I like talking to her about the baby, because she's as happy about him as I am. I can actually talk to her about these kind of things.

"Really?! Tell me!" She screams like a little kid. I take that back, she might be more excited than me.

"Okay, okay. Well I think our favorite is Greysen, but we also like Zander and Jace." I say to her.

"Aw, Greysen is beautiful. I love it. What about his middle name?"

"We were thinking about Star." I say, very unsure.

"Star? Ahh, it's different, and unique. I actually like it. Does it have a story behind it or something?" She asks .

I laugh. _Ha, she's right. It does kinda have a story_. "I guess you could say it has a story behind it."

"Oh, well I love it. Greysen Star. Yes, it has a nice ring to it."

"I think so too. I'm glad you like it!"

I look at my little belly. Wait, not little, _huge_ belly. It's gotten a lot bigger in just one week. I don't know if I can wait another month, it seems like I'm big enough to just pop him out right now. But I don't know if I'm re.. _Wait, he's kicking!_

I look up to Stevie Rae, "Do you want to feel him kick?" Her smile begins to grow wider, "Of course!"

She slowly, gently lays her hand down on my belly. I take her hand and slide it around to just the right spot. I'm use to him kicking now. At first it scared me to death, and it was kind of painful, but now it's a happy thing. I don't know how to say it, but I feel like my little boy's trying to get my attention, to show me he loves me. Maybe I'm crazy, but that's how I see it when he kicks me.

Stevie Rae's face immediately lights up in joy. "Beautiful," is all she says.

I agree with her. It is beautiful. This precious little life inside of me. I made him. He's mine, and he's my responsibility. I guess that's the scary part though. I've never taken care of something by myself before. Not even a dog. I never had a pet when I was little. I mean, I have Maleficent now, but she doesn't count. She can take care of herself.

"I know. He is beautiful," I agree with her.

"I can't wait until he's here, and I actually get to hold him! Who do you think he'll look like? You? Darius? Maybe he'll have your pretty blonde hair. Oooh, and blue eyes. I just love blue eyes," Stevie Rae babbles on. I can't help but laugh. She looks really silly going on and on about how she thinks my little boy will look. Then I think back to my dream.

"I think he will look a lot like Darius. He'll have most of Darius' facial features and he'll have Darius' strong body structure. But he'll have my blonde hair, curly blonde hair though, and he'll have my eyes. My sharp, gorgeous eyes." I say, trying to think back to the boy I saw in my dream. I haven't to any boo else. I don't know why, but every time I start to tell them something in my mind tells me to stop.

"Well, he will be a beautiful boy, that's for sure." Stevie Rae giggles, "All the girls will be all over this little one."

I smile. "Yep, he's already beautiful."

**I just wanted this chapter to be a sweet, fun chapter. Take a step away from the drama, and talk about the little baby boy! Hoped you guys liked it. Review and tell me what you thought of it. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello. Vote. Review.  
I do not own THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. That is all. Enjoy.**

Chapter 13

Darius

_One Week Later_

Well, another week has past. That means we're just 7 days closer for Aphrodite to have our baby. Seven days closer to her death. I keep telling myself I won't let it happen, but what if I can't help her? What if I can't stop him? I always try to block those questions from my mind, but they somehow sneak up on me. I find myself asking those questions more and more with everyday that goes by, even if I try to block them.

Aphrodite and I have seemed kind of distant lately. We haven't really.. touched in a while. She won't let me touch her like she use to., and she barely talks to me. All I usually get is a small conversation about how she's feeling, but I rarely even get that. We don't talk about the baby as much as we should either, mostly because we both have different opinions on how to deal with him. Her wanting to keep him, no matter what the consequences. I wanting him dead. I know. It's terrible of me, but it's the truth. It's awful that a father would want his son dead, but I do. I haven't told her my full opinion. I try to steer away from that subject. I know if I told her, it would totally crush her. I just think it would be easier if we just didn't have this baby. Everything would be back to the way it was, and maybe after this is over we can then start a family. Maybe.

But I can't kill our child. Why? I love Aphrodite too much. I love her too much to do that to her. If I killed him, not only would our baby die, she would too. I see the way she looks at our little boy inside her. She glows. She seems so happy with him, and I would take that happiness away from her. I want her to be happy, of course. She just doesn't understand that she just can't take her life for our baby. The little life inside her that's not even into this world yet. She doesn't understand that I couldn't take care of it, if it killed her. I couldn't love it. I really couldn't. _Great. Now I sound like Zoey, calling my baby 'It'._

"Darius, could you do something for me?" Aphrodite says in a hushed tone. I was completely lost in thought that I barely heard her.

I nod once. "Of course, my beauty. What is it?"

"I need a little fresh air, could you help me?" She asks. I nod. She stands up slowly. She doesn't have much strength to stand, so I wrap my arm around her waist to support her. Her belly has gotten so much bigger in just a week. Seems like the baby grows every second. She has also gotten a little pale, and bags have began to form under her beautiful eyes. Aphrodite has never looked like this. I've never seen her so pale and fragile.

She's too weak to walk, so I end up carrying her half way to the entrance of the depot. I gently place her on the ground, since there is no where she can sit. She pats the space next to her, gesturing for me to sit, so I do. She quickly grabs my hand, she's holding onto me so tightly my hand starts to loose feeling. We just sit there on the ground in silence for what seems like a long time.

"Are you happy, Darius?" she asks me. Then quickly looks down at her belly to hind my gaze.

What an odd question. Of course I'm happy.

"Yes, of course. Why would you ask that?" I ask her.

"I just want to make sure. It just feels like we're no longer in this together. You know? I.. I want you to feel the same way I do, Darius. I want you to.. To want this baby too." she says, loosening her grip on my hand.

I'm hurting her. I've been trying so hard not to hurt her, and I failed. I'm so stupid. She needs me more than anything now, and I've been pushing her away. I can't believe I just realized it now.

I place my hand gently on her cheek, and slowly turn her head, so she's facing me. I look into her beautiful, sad eyes. She drops her eyes to the ground, ignoring my gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Aphrodite. I just don't want anything to happen to you. You now that. But I do. I do want this baby," I manage to say, "I want you to have our baby."

She looks up at me, her glossy eyes opened so wide. Her face immediately brightens up at my last statement. "Really?"

"Of course," is all I say, before she launches herself at me.

I fall to the ground, lying on my back. She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. She's practically on top of me, laughing. It's good to hear her laugh. It's been a lot time since I've heard her innocent little laugh.

Then I feel her tears seeping through my shirt. "Aphrodite? Why are you crying?"

"Happy tears, silly," she says.

She slowly stands up, and dusts herself off. She looks over at me, and smile. "Well get up!" She says with her hands on her hips.

I laugh and get up quickly. I rush over to where she is standing and wrap my arms around her.

"I've missed this," I say.

"Miss what?" she asks with a smile.

"This. Just you and me, but mostly just toughing you," I simply say.

She giggles. "I've missed you too, Darius," she whispers.

I gently lean down, and kiss her sweet, soft lips. I haven't kissed her in so long, it feels like. I really have missed her. So much.

"I love you," she whispers against my lips.

"I love you too, my beauty," I reply, breaking our kiss, and embracing her in my strong arms. She quickly returns my embrace.

"Well, well, it's nice to see you two are doing alright," says a frightening voice, behind us. The stranger's voice makes my skin crawl. I snap my head to it's direction, and grab Aphrodite by her arm pulling her body, so she's safe behind me. It's very dark outside, but I can just make out the dark figure lurking at the edge of the woods.

Slowly, it then strides out of the shade of the trees, so it can be seen.

I hear Aphrodite gasp in horror at the sight of the stranger . But this is no stranger. The dark figure is the former high priestess of the House Of Night.

Neferet.

**Awhh, you got some Aphrodite and Darius fluff, then BAM. Drama. I hope you liked this chapter. Review. Tell me what you think :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been reeeally busy. I don't own THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. Wish I did. Now you may read. Enjoy.**

Chapter 14

Darius

The former high priestess of the House of Night. The one that has been trying to kill us all. My enemy, Neferet, is standing a few yards in front of me. Her perfect hair hanging down over her shoulders, swaying in the small breeze. Her sharp eyes piercing into my soul, making my skin crawl. Her lips stretched out into a sinister smile.

"Neferet," is all I can say, with Aphrodite still safe behind me. But she quickly grabs my hand, and positions herself beside me. I knew she wouldn't stay behind me. She's not afraid of Neferet. Well, maybe she is, and she just doesn't want to show her fear in front of Neferet. I understand that.

"Why yes, Darius. I'm sure you have all missed me. I just thought it would be nice if I just popped in for a visit," she then turns her gaze to Aphrodite's swollen stomach, and her smile widens.

"Well we didn't invite you, bitch, so I'm sorry but you'll just have to leave," Aphrodite snaps at Neferet.

"Oh no. I just came to see _you,_ Aphrodite," Neferet slowly steps closer to us, making her way toward Aphrodite.

"_Me? _Why _me_?" she asks.

"The baby, of course," Neferet says, as she leaps toward Aphrodite. I try to knock Neferet out of the way, but she just slings me to the ground. Everything happens so fast. I'm trying to get up off the ground to protect Aphrodite, but something is holding me down. My legs can't move. They won't let me go anywhere. I glance down at me legs. What I see makes me feel sick, and frightened. Dark and Snakelike. It's like octopus tentacles are wrapping themselves over my legs, trapping me. Darkness. It's crawling along my legs, seeping into my skin. I scream out in pain. I've never felt anything like it. I try and break free, but it seems like I'm glued to the ground. Darkness has trapped me. I can not get to Aphrodite.

I watch, still trying to break free. Neferet slowly makes her way to Aphrodite, who is lying on her back on the ground. Neferet must have knocked her down when she went after me. Aphrodite's breathing hard, and she has a cut on he forehead. I must get to her.

And the baby. I hope the baby is alright.

Neferet kneels down next to Aphrodite and places her hand on Aphrodite's belly, and says, "My boys. They will choose the path of darkness, you know. I will make sure of it." Her smile comes back again. That cold, evil smile.

No. I must get to Aphrodite. I turn back to the darkness, that has trapped me on the ground. I grab it with both hands and try to rip it off of me, with all of my strength. Tears stream down my face, I can not fail her. I can not fail my love, Aphrodite. I give up. I can't break the darkness. Nothing happens. I look down at my hands and find deep cuts all over them.

My head snaps back to Aphrodite's direction, when I hear her scream. Neferet is standing above Aphrodite, darkness surrounds them both. Neferet guides the darkness to wrap around her swollen belly. All you can see is Aphrodite's head, and Neferet laughing beside her. The evil is all around her, and I can't do a thing.

Then, all of a sudden, the darkness disappears. Neferet drops to her knees, still laughing.

"I did it," Neferet says laughing.

I launched myself in Neferet's direction. Apparently all the darkness disappeared. Well, except Neferet. When I get to her. I slam her to the ground. My hand around her neck. Even though I'm choking her, she still seems to have that smile on her face.

"What are you going to do now, Neferet? Shoot some of your evil at me?" I scream at her, tightening my grip around her neck.

She shakes her head in response to my question. Well tries to shake her head.

No? Why isn't she going to fight back? Is she giving up? Why would she give up? Then it hit me. She has no more power. She used all her power to… to do whatever just happened. She powerless. Now's my chance to kill her.

"Go ahead. Kill me. I already finished the job. She's still going to die," was the last thing she said, before I snapped her neck. I know I should have asked her questions. I should have made her tell me everything! I'm so stupid. She could have given me answers! I just couldn't control myself. I _had _to kill her.

Neferet's last words keep repeating in my mind, as I run over to Aphrodite.

"_Go ahead. Kill me. I already finished the job. She's still going to die."_

**Sorry, this chapter is kinda sucky, I know. Anyways, did anyone catch Neferet say "My BOYS." as in plural? More than one boy? WHAT? What does Neferet mean? Hmm..Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. : )**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, followers of my story. Thank you for being so patient. I realized I have spoiled you guys. I have been updating every day or every other day, and I can no longer update as quickly as I used to. Why you ask? I have school, which means homework, a lot of homework, especially Spanish. Bleh. Cheer. Friday night football games, and most importantly my very recent, quite new, relationship with Vic Fuentes… Just kidding. I wish Vic Fuentes was my boyfriend. If you don't know who Vic Fuentes is, you need help, ha. So I'm very busy, but I will try to update as soon as I can. Also after that last cliffhanger, I totally went blank. This chapter, no matter what I did, just wasn't good enough for me. It just kept getting suckier instead of better, but I tried to fix it. So hopefully it's better now. Again, I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. Don't hate me. :)  
Anyways, enough of my babbling. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own anything from the House of Night though, but I wish I did. :) **

Chapter 15

Aphrodite

I woke up to the sound of weeping. Darius was sitting in a chair next to our bed, crying. We were alone in our little old room in the depot. All I could hear was the sound of Darius' tears, and soft raindrops hitting the roof outside. The sound of the rain was quite peaceful. It made me feel safe, like I could lay here forever and let the sound of the raindrops comfort me.

I had been so mesmerized by the soft raindrops that I had forgotten about Darius for a while. Why was he crying? Did something bad happen? Did something happen to..

_The baby. _I sit up, a little too quickly apparently, because it makes Darius jump like 3 feet in the air. I search for my swollen belly in the dark, hoping the baby is still there. Hoping he is alright.

I breathe a sigh of relief at the touch of my stomach. Great, I'm still huge. Never thought I'd say that.

"Aphrodite…" is all Darius chokes out. His eyes are red and puffy, and tears still travel down his face. He's obviously been crying for a while.

"It's okay, Darius. I'm okay. We're okay," I try and comfort him, "stop crying. Everything's alright. " He tries to smile, but the tears win the war. The smile, his sweet smile, disappears very quickly, and his tears take its place. That's when I remember. I see the bandages on his legs, obviously from the darkness Neferet was controlling. Neferet. I had almost forgotten Darius killed her. Thank god. I was getting tired of that bitch messing everything up.

"I'm sorry, Aphrodite. I tried to get to you, but I… Neferet... I just…" he starts.

"Shh, Darius. It's okay now. No need to apologize. I'm alright," I try and reassure him.

"No, Aphrodite. I don't know what Neferet did to you… to our babies," his last few words I barely hear.

Hold on. Did he just say _babies_? As in more than one baby? _Plural_? What the hell is he talking about?!

"Babies? What are you talking about, Darius?" I ask him.

"Aphrodite.." He begins, but stops, like he's trying to think of something to say. He shakes his head, "You don't remember, do you?"

Don't remember what? I remember Neferet. I remember her attacking Darius. I remember trying to escape, but I couldn't. I couldn't leave Darius. Then she kind of zapped me… with darkness? Maybe? That's when my memory fades. I don't remember anything after that…

"I remember Neferet. I remember her attacking you…" I say to him.

"Aphrodite… she attacked you too. I couldn't get to you. I tried so hard. The darkness had such a tight hold on me. I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry," Darius says to me, "Neferet had darkness all around you. All around our babies." That's when he stops, grabs my hand and holds it tightly.

"But what do you mean, Darius?! There is only one fucking thing inside me! Why the hell do you keep saying babies?!" I ask him, very frustrated. I'm usually not like this. It's this baby. It's making me crazy. I should really apologize, but I don't. I'm way to pissed to apologize.

"Neferet, she… she kept saying my_ boys. _Do you not remember her saying that? She said they will choose the path of darkness. Apparently she was putting darkness inside them or something… What I'm really trying to say is… Aphrodite, we're having two babies," Darius barely spits out.

It takes me a while to understand what he says. It takes a while for it all to sink in. It doesn't come back quickly; I guess I blocked it out, but that memory does comes back. I remember Neferet trying to hurt my baby… babies, I mean. Babies. I didn't think I was ready for one, but now I've got two. Great. Thanks for the surprise, Nyx.

"No, she didn't hurt them. No darkness touched my babies, and it never will," Is all I can say.

"But Aphrodite…" he begins, but I interrupt him quickly.

"No. I promise you. Our babies are alright, and so am I. Nothing bad will happen, Darius," I try to reassure him and myself. But I don't do a very good job convincing either of us.

I see the tears begin to form in his eyes. I hate seeing him like this. It really kills me.

I tighten my grip on his hand and jerk him onto the bed. He lays down gently next to me. I cuddle up next to him and whisper in his ear, "I love you, Darius."

"I love you too," and as his last word comes out, I suddenly feel… water? I feel it creep down my leg, and spread across the sheets of our bed. I'm too shocked to speak at the moment, but I know exactly what just happened. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready.

I turn Darius' head, so that he is looking straight into my eyes.

"Darius. I think my water just broke."

**Whoa! Look at that cliffhanger… hehehehe.  
And what do you think of the whole 'Aphrodite, we're having two babies' thing? I just wanted another twist. What do yall think? Tell me!  
Hope you guys liked this chapter. I worked pretty hard on this chapter, actually, so I would love it if you guys could review and tell me what you think. I would greatly appreciate it! Love you guys! Keep following my lovely fanfic, please :)  
-RueMarie.**


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